Media Literacy

Research Question

Over the course of six weeks, I’ve learned much from my Education 435 lectures. The course readings further enhanced my own findings on media literacy and created a rich discussion amongst my group members. These discussions revolved around how media, such as video, blogging, podcasts and social media, are utilized in classrooms. The implications of media literacy within schools, society and culture lead us to the question of: What kind of media literacies are used in the classroom to enhance engagement, learning and adapting to different learning styles? Our group believes our topic is essential when considering the classrooms of today. As our society progresses and evolves, technology grows alongside it. In consideration to Hoechsmann’s article, new media is and should be recognized as fundamental learning tools, therefore we ask how it effects student engagement, learning and differentiation within the classroom (2008). I believe that our question is meaningful because it addresses the ways literacy can be utilized and formed outside of traditional texts. I would consider it a waste to not use what society produces through technology within the classroom, as many of these students use technology and consume new media outside of school. The use of media not only provides new venues of learning but also meets students where they are at during the present digital age.

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However, my group and myself recognize that not all schools or teachers implement media as much as we would like, nor did we expect to see much use of media that people are unaccustomed to, such as podcasts. Based on our preconceptions of schools and classrooms, our group decided on asking a broad question to allow us room to narrow down should we find specific examples. The research question still refers to media literacy and the ways they are used within the classroom but is broad enough to encapsulate our various experiences in our own field observations as each of us were in different parts of the city.

 

Data Collection

For the first week, I attended a grade 7-9 Jr. High school (JR) in the CSSD. ELL students make up 83% of the school population. There is a wide demographic of student needs and learning outside of being classified as ELL and the school strove to implement various methods of teaching to cater to these needs. JR was a pilot school for Literacy Period where students are assessed on their literacy and reading comprehension, then placed accordingly regardless of grade level and instead reading level. A teacher for one of the Literacy periods noted that things were moving along smoothly as she was able to plan lessons that were better suited for that specific reading level of students, rather than differentiating amongst a great variety that was normally found in a LA class. To note, Literacy period doesn’t substitute LA but rather supports LA by ensuring that students are getting help on their literacy and foundational skills for reading, writing, listening and talking.

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For the second week, I attended an Elementary school (KE) that taught K-5 within the CBE. ELL students make up 36% of the school population and 30% are under the Individual Program Plan. Based on these percentages, the vice principal noted the importance of differentiation between students in classrooms and how teachers can reach students with different needs in their learning capabilities. There is a huge focus on teacher collective collaboration between grade levels and classes. Teachers are working on how to implement strategies together to then have an impact on student learning and literacy through the design of purposeful interactions and lessons. That is, creating lesson plans and activities that are not merely academic based but also promoting student growth, wellness, and positive youth development through diversity, acceptance and belonging. I found that many of these lessons came through during literacy lessons and activities as the texts covered other topics such as Aboriginal and multicultural stories. Despite both schools residing in a lower socio-economic part of the city, they still had access to technology and resources for new media education. I found that these schools had a rich amount of data that corelated to media literacy usage within the classroom.

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Data Analysis and Interpretation

 

Video and film can be used as a learning and literacy tool in the classroom but only when used appropriately or structured in such a way that supports learning.

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To begin my data analysis, video and film create the first theme statement as it was the most used media during my two-week observations. The ways in which video was presented differed from teacher to teacher, class to class and subject to subject. Videos that were shown without strong support from the teacher caused more disengagement and in turn became a thing to pass the time, which reinforced Fisher and Frey’s warning against being passive “projectionists” (2011, p. 97). However, I noted that teachers who utilized videos in a structured way and to facilitate deeper learning earned more engagement amongst students. I have a variety of observations on how video was incorporated into lessons and will discuss the ways they were used to enhance engagement, learning and adapting to different learning styles.

 

For three different classes, teachers used the disruption method through discussion and writing (Fisher & Frey, 2011, p. 97-98). During an ELL class the video would stop at questions that the teacher made up before-hand, students could not continue the video until they typed in their answers. It helped increase learning and engagement as students had to focus on what they were watching, and the subtitles contributed another layer of literacy for the ELL students. This is due to the video and subtitles acting as both oral and written forms of literacy. I noticed this same method as well during my observations of a grade three class watching a documentary for Social Studies. During Literacy period, students watched a documentary as a segue into their lesson on making informational posters. The teacher’s disruptions were crucial during her pausing of the video as she asked critical questions. These types of questions acted as way for students to connect visuals with text, such as how perceptions of visuals translate into writing and how visual effects were purposeful. The teacher iterated that products make meaning and contain a purpose. She connected this to how video and posters include meaning-making just as text does. Examples of video as a learning and literacy tool allowed students to foster their literacy through visual and auditory experiences therefore enhancing their learning.

In terms of engagement, I noticed that layouts of a classroom can affect students as they are watching a video. In the Literacy classroom that had a traditional seating plan, kids in the back were inclined to doze off or disengage during the video even with the teacher asking questions. Whereas I found that with the grade three and ELL classrooms where students are gathered on the carpet or seated at group tables to watch the video, there was an increase in engagement.

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Students tend to be engaged when using media as learning and literacy tools as they are given agency in creating or utilizing said media.

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The youth creating their own forms of media are a way to grant themselves agency in our digital age. Students “have the capacity today to create sophisticated media and to share it,” therefore granting them autonomy not only over their own learning but the ways in which they interact and perceive the world around them (Hoechsmann 2008, p. 60). The examples from my data represent observations where students were given a degree of autonomy over their literacy and were able to adapt to their own learning styles.

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During a Health period, the teacher modeled PSAs by airing examples through video and audio. Students were then given a project to create their own PSAs in groups through iPads and Chrome-books. I saw not only engagement amongst students but the ability to critically think about what makes a good PSA and using it to voice their own concerns. Smythe and Neufeld’s article came to mind as I watched students create scripts before acting them out which enabled them to “[engage] in sustained reading and writing practice to promote fluency and confidence” (2010, p. 494-495). The act of writing and speaking allowed students to see any errors in their writing and peers were able to help one another in editing these scripts and in turn the videos. The other critical point to this example was the teacher’s use of play within the project as “play and creativity pulled the students’ conventional reading and writing development along” (Smythe & Neufeld, 2010, p. 494). I believe this project was a great utilization of media as not only a literacy and learning tool but a tool to grant students agency within their own learning.

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During a CTF period that functions as a book club, students choose books to read while filling out book reports. In this example, students are given agency in utilizing the media at their disposal. While some chose to read books, others read “unconventional” texts such as a group of ELL grade nine students that wanted to study on the Learner’s Handbook as they were planning to take the Class 7 exam. Their handout was differentiated from the rest of the class as they were ELL. It highlighted discussion questions and new words and their meanings as well. The group used laptops to read up on the handbook and were writing down unfamiliar words. They were quite rowdy, and one might think they were off topic as they were speaking in Tagalog. Being Filipino myself, I could understand what they were talking about, and I found they were on topic and even asking each other for help on words they didn’t understand. This “activity of learning to play and playing to learn is supplemented by the use of cheat sheets, queries to peers, and consulting resources” (Hoechsmann, 2008, p.63). However, there are some negative aspects which did arise during my observations. Some students were not using their media time wisely, for example instead of researching for potential PSA material, they would wind up surfing the web of unrelated topics. Although I do want to note that I did not speak with some of these students therefore what I perceive to be unrelated might actually relate to their framework of thinking; I believe giving autonomy to students as they create and interact with media literacies is important as they themselves become involved in their own learning.

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The variations of media allow teachers to not only assess student learning but engage their students in lessons and adapt to their different learning styles.

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One teacher with whom I had an informal interview with noted that her own philosophy on learning was that students need a range of texts and therefore a variety of ways in which it is presented: video, online articles, and blogs to name a few. There is the notion that teachers should be teaching students how to use media and online spaces through an academic mindset as well, that they can “do it for purposeful, functional needs” (Collier, 2007, p. 5). There is a greater incorporation of online programs and websites that facilitate literacy and learning such as Khan Academy, Sumdog, Razkids and much more. Some of these are considered as game sites, though teachers noted that this was still a way to get students engaged with learning through the media of online games. IRIS as a goal setter gave students the autonomy and self-reflection to know what they needed help on and what they should be working on to better their learning, but also gives teachers the chance to differentiate and cater to their needs. A grade five student told me that she liked IRIS because she could feel good about accomplishing past goals. This approach to learning and literacy in general gives students a sense of self-accomplishment and pride. Hoechsmann argues that “young people . . . are no longer positioned as passive receivers” and have voices that teachers and educators should listen to (2008, p. 69). These online assessments continue to aid teachers in seeing what their students struggle with when they use sites like Khan Academy and can set their students at their own learning pace whether that be through reading comprehension or numerical literacy.

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Implications and Recommendations

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Since week one, I’ve always been an avid supporter of technology and media use in classrooms. Based on my findings, I have learned that although we have made much advancements in technology, it is crucial to use new media in a structured way in order to facilitate deep learning. This structure matters to student literacy because one shouldn’t treat new media differently than traditional text. Just as one would not let a student merely read a novel and write about it, one should not let a video play without any guidance or support.  I’ve also found that student literacy can grow as students are engaged with the material. Students can “connect reading, writing, talking, listening, and thinking” through venues outside of traditional text such as video, podcast, blogging and social media (Expert Panel on Literacy, 2004, p. 31). In fact, my opinion is that these media forms can allow greater engagement as students continually use technology and media outside of school. My observations didn’t necessarily challenge what I thought I might see as myself and my group foresaw that we would not see an incorporation of all the media we discussed, therefore I believe it was the right question to ask.

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I would recommend to teachers that they continue incorporating media as literacy but would ask that they also consider media outside of just videos. Despite video being the most used in the classrooms I observed, many teachers noted that it was early in the year therefore they hadn’t introduced other media literacies such as podcasts and blogging but were interested in doing so. Therefore, it’s my belief that many teachers are aware of new media and are just waiting for the chance to properly utilize them. I agree with Khan’s notions of media literacy being used to “[flip] the classroom” as it allows teachers to engage their students outside of the stereotypical sage-on-stage method of teaching (2011). I think it’s outstanding as they truly are attempting to create proper lesson plans and activities where media can be the primary source of text and learning.  Indeed, my findings have shown how much value media can add to student literacy, engagement and various learning styles. Based on the three theme statements, there are certainly positive outcomes that arise with media literacy and it is only a matter of how teachers make use of it. I believe that through the incorporation of media literacy in the classrooms of today, it implies a greater range in which teachers can facilitate inquiry within their students as well as developing meaningful activities for students. Through my observations, I have been taught the importance of teachers guiding learning and literacy through multimodal forms, not just text. Audio and visual learners are supported through video but also allows students to experience for themselves the ways in which they learn best, moving them from being passive receptors to active agents. At the end of the day, we owe it to our students to help them reach the full extent of their learning capabilities which can be fostered through engagement, strong literacy skills and attending to different learning strategies.

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References

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Collier, L. (2007). The shift to 21st - century literacies. Council Chronicle, NCTE. Available at: http://lornacollier.com/The+Shift+to+21st+Century+Literacies.pdf

 

Fernandez, Y. (2017).  Field  Experience Weeks One and Two.

 

Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2011). Using video and film in the classroom. International Reading Association Website. Retreived from: http://ebookcentral.proquest.com.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/lib/ucalgaryebooks/reader.action?ppg=100&docID=3014994&tm=1501622412935

 

Hoechsmann, M. (2008). Audience Incorporated (Inc.): Youth cultural production and the new media. Journal of Curriculum Theorizing, 24(1), 60-70.

 

Khan, S.A. (2011). Let’s use video to reinvent education. Ted Talk available at https://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education

 

Smythe, S. & Neufeld, P. (2010). Podcast time: Negotiating digital literacies and communities of learning in a middle years ELL classroom. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(6), 488-496. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/stable/pdf/25614593.pdf?refreqid=excelsior:71e753eaa3c1f9689aeb8d1e018c06a5

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